While I understand this point, it seems that large, omnibus-style books are getting more and more popular with publishers, implying a healthy profit-margin. Think back to 10 years ago - heck, 7 years ago - Marvel was just about the only omnibus game in town (DC was doing their pathetic attempts, resulting in the original Death of Superman toilet paper omnibus), and now look at today: Genuine omnibuses from Marvel, DC, Valiant, Image, Dark Horse, etc.
The profit-margin is healthy enough to have caused a veritable "big book arms race." We've gone from the original DC slip case collections (Green Lantern / Green Arrow, Deadman), to Absolutes, to omnibuses, to Big Damn / Colossals, to Adamantium collections, to Artist's / Artifact Editions. Honestly, at this rate, we'll be getting Watchmen as a mural on the Great Wall of China by 2025.
"How To Draw Comics The Marvel Way" was a surprise Christmas present from my sister
That SHIELD cover makes me want that book even though I have zero interest in it. My end of year haul was a combination of stuff I bought myself and a couple of presents. Man Without A Face HC, Road To and Reborn HC's and the last two Brubaker omnibuses. The first still hasn't shown up so I'm waiting impatiently to start. Also got Who Is The Black Panther trade and am waiting for the second BP complete collection. Dates have changed on wordery and speedyhen. Has it been delayed?
Late to the party, but let me throw in my $0.02 that anyone who finds a copy of this issue should definitely pick it up. It might just be nostalgia talking, but this issue had way more worthwhile material than your average holiday special. The Art Adams cover alone is gorgeous, natch. The X-Men story features the classic "All-New, All-Different" lineup and is penciled by Dave Cockrum, and takes place right before UXM #98. (It also makes Santa arguably at least slightly responsible for the Dark Phoenix Saga.) The Ghost Rider story has him saving a blind boy who, as seen above, mistakes him for Santa Claus and his motorcycle for hungry reindeer. (Okay, so maybe the kid isn't the brightest bulb.) The Fantastic Four story (written by Walt Simonson, penciled by Art Adams) has Franklin encountering the ghost of Jacob Marley, still imprisoned more than 100 years after "A Christmas Carol." The Thor, Punisher, and Captain Ultra stories are all fine but pretty skippable. But the Captain America story has him finding out Bucky had a sister and visiting her at Christmas to tell her her brother was Bucky, and died a hero. And the Spider-Man story is a semi-sequel to "The Kid Who Collected Spider-Man."
All in all, plenty of good stuff. A lot of holiday specials seem to contain nothing but filler material, but for this one, at least, they really made it worth your while.
Any other OHC-waiters a little bummed that Avengers: Time Runs Out comes out about 4 months after the Secret Wars OHC?